Fabrication of a Si stencil mask for the X-ray lithography using a dry etching technique

We fabricated a Si stencil X-ray mask only in a dry process without electroplating and chemical etching. An X-ray absorber of thickness 30 νm with vertical sidewalls was able to be fabricated. In addition, we succeeded in demonstration of the X-ray lithography in the beam line BL-4 of the synchrotron radiation facility TERAS of AIST. Line and space patterns of line width 2 - 200 νm were transcribed plainly on the surface of a PMMA sheet. It was confirmed that the edge of PMMA microstructures was sharp. There is a possibility that this Si stencil mask can be applied as an X-ray mask for the deep X-ray lithography.